Beside One’s Bed, How Could One Allow Another to Sleep Soundly? Ghostly Mist in an Abandoned Village!

"Master, there’s no need to let such a vile scoundrel live!"

"Let this lowly one send him on his way!"

"So he does not dirty Master’s hands!"

The righteous young man who had stabbed Wei Wuya to death said to Jiang Feng.

However…

Jiang Feng looked at him with an unfamiliar gaze. After a long silence, he sighed. "You were too hasty, Jiang Qin…"

The young man named Jiang Qin immediately panicked.

Jiang Feng continued, "Only three people knew the complete route—you, me, and my wife. No one else could possibly have had the time to tip them off. If it wasn’t you, could it have been me or my wife?"

Jiang Qin had thought he could bluff his way through it, but now that Jiang Feng had laid everything bare, he could no longer keep up the act.

His fists clenched tightly, his face flushed red, and his entire body trembled.

Whether from fear or shame at having his secret exposed in public, no one knew.

Jiang Qin said coldly, "Since you’ve guessed that I’m the traitor, do whatever you want. Kill me or torture me—it’s all up to you."

"I, Jiang Feng, have always treated you well. We were practically brothers. Whatever you wanted, I gave it to you. Why? What made you do such a thing?"

Jiang Feng was not happy at having caught the traitor in his own household. Instead, he was so heartbroken he could barely speak, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the book servant he had grown up with.

He had truly regarded the other as a younger brother. That was no lie.

Jiang Qin suddenly threw back his head and laughed madly, his expression twisted with madness.

"Why?"

"You’re actually asking me why?"

"Because you are the greatest saint in the world, the greatest good man under heaven! Jiang Feng, the handsome gentleman pursued by countless women, while I am nothing but your book servant!"

"So what if you treated me well? Is your immense fortune mine?"

"Why should you be revered by the whole world while I have to follow behind you, serving you like a slave?"

"I’ve had enough!"

Jiang Qin’s face twisted savagely. His sword trembled endlessly in his hand, and every word from his mouth pierced Jiang Feng’s heart.

Hua Yuenv gently patted Jiang Feng’s back, consoling her husband as he nearly broke down.

"What a sharp-tongued beast. You betrayed your master as his book servant, yet you speak as though it were perfectly justified. A beast like you truly deserves to die!"

Li Gexiao had heard every word, and his heart was already filled with rage. Embroidered Spring Blade in hand, he strode toward Jiang Qin!

Under his master Zheng Dongliu’s teachings and influence, he had formed an unshakable creed that he would uphold no matter what.

Great villains and evildoers must be killed!

"Don’t come any closer!"

Jiang Qin shrieked in terror, backing away again and again.

"Brother, wait!"

Softhearted, Jiang Feng still remembered their old bond and intended to spare Jiang Qin’s life.

Unfortunately, his words were not as fast as Li Gexiao’s blade!

A flash of steel swept past, and a fine head flew into the air.

When it hit the ground, everyone saw only Jiang Qin’s eyes, still wide open in death.

Li Gexiao turned to Jiang Feng and spoke indifferently. "You have a family. In all things, your wife and children must come first. Do not let your weakness harm them, lest you regret it for the rest of your days!"

Chu Yang knew Li Gexiao had been reminded of his late wife, Jing Ruyi, so he patted his shoulder.

Though Li Gexiao’s tone was harsh, Jiang Feng still sensed his goodwill and nodded. "Brother, your lesson is right. I will take it as a warning."

"Enough. We sat down for tea and ran into all this nonsense, wasting so much time…" Chu Yang waved a hand and walked out of the tea stall on his own. "Old Li, get moving. Any later, and we’ll really have to sleep out in the wilderness."

Seeing Chu Yang about to leave, Jiang Feng hurried forward and asked, "I have yet to learn the names of my two benefactors. One day, Jiang Feng will surely repay you both."

Chu Yang ignored him, stretched lazily, and kept walking.

When it came to guys who were handsome, rich, and exceptionally decent, one had to stay far away. Otherwise, wherever they went, all the girls would flock around them. What chance would he have?

That was a truth Chu Yang had learned over many years in brothels.

Li Gexiao did not care about such matters. He laughed loudly. "My young master’s surname is Chu, given name Yang. As for me… Li Gexiao."

"Chu Yang… Li Gexiao…" Jiang Feng silently repeated the two names and said firmly, "I’ll remember the names of my two benefactors. One day, I…"

"Will you shut up? It’s always ‘one day’ with you." Chu Yang turned back and glared at Jiang Feng. "What, are you chanting a spell over there?"

Jiang Feng fell silent awkwardly.

But as soon as the two men left, Hua Yuenv immediately ordered the others to follow. The caravan thus trailed far behind Chu Yang and Li Gexiao.

"Madam, isn’t this improper? We may bring trouble upon our benefactors."

"The Twelve Zodiacs have countless followers. That battle will soon spread throughout the underworld. Our whereabouts have already been exposed. If we do not stay close to Young Master Chu and the others, where else can we find a way to survive?"

"Madam is right. I only hope our two benefactors will not mind."

"Hero Li already gave you a warning earlier, but you did not understand what he meant. He told you that in all things, you must put me and the children first."

"They truly are kindhearted people."

"That Young Master Chu is so formidable it is frightening. Not to mention anything else, I have never seen sword qi on such an overwhelming scale. I wonder who is stronger, him or the Palace Master."

"I think Young Master Chu may be stronger. I have only ever seen such terrifying attainment in the sword on my elder brother. Even he needs the help of a divine sword, while Young Master Chu can unleash sword qi with a casual gesture. The gap between them is obvious."

"Strange, though. Young Master Chu is much younger than us, and he looks like someone raised in luxury. How can his martial cultivation be so high?"

"Hahaha, there are countless people in the world blessed with extraordinary talent. Madam is making too much of it. Back then, Invincible Scamp Gu Santong was already sweeping through the world at Young Master Chu’s age."

With the sense of danger gone, the couple began chatting and laughing again. Li Gexiao, riding ahead, occasionally looked back with a smile in his eyes and a trace of nostalgia.

Chu Yang smiled. "After all these years, have you still not met a woman who moved your heart?"

Li Gexiao shook his head. "As long as that old thief Yan Song still lives, my heart will remain like stagnant water, unable to stir."

Chu Yang drew a deep breath, his gaze turning sharp. "Then wait a little longer. That day will come sooner or later. Killing a Grand Secretary is technical work!"

Li Gexiao said earnestly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for giving me the chance to personally kill my enemy. Otherwise, with your temperament, you would have swept the Imperial Court clean long ago."

Chu Yang said, "I’m only a prince. What does the Imperial Court have to do with me? Whether it’s a filthy mess or full of bad people, as long as it doesn’t stop me from drinking and visiting courtesans, I don’t care."

Li Gexiao kept one thought buried in his heart and did not say it aloud. Sometimes, the course of the times had nothing to do with a person’s wishes. The moment the imperial robe was draped upon you, even if you did not want to be emperor, you would have to become one.

You may wish for peaceful days.

But for some people, how could they allow another to sleep soundly beside their bed?

Though they hurried as fast as they could, the group still failed to reach a town before nightfall. Left with no choice, they found an abandoned village to rest in for the night.

Demons ran rampant in the south. Entire villages often abandoned their homeland and moved to larger cities.

When towns became overcrowded, local prefects would even permit refugees to cultivate nearby land, build homes, and settle there.

Though this conflicted with state law, human lives were at stake, and there was no choice but to handle it this way. Usually, everyone simply turned a blind eye.

The number of abandoned villages had surged in recent years, and they had even become nests for demons.

Demons knew how to disguise themselves as humans. Some villages appeared prosperous and bustling, yet every person in the village might actually be a demon in disguise.

For safety’s sake, before everyone entered the abandoned village, Li Gexiao went in alone to investigate. As an Embroidered Uniform Guard, scouting was child’s play for him.

Only after he had checked the place inside and out did Li Gexiao signal for the others to enter.

Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenv, along with the caravan guards, did not dare go too far in. They casually picked several relatively intact thatched huts near the outskirts and prepared to make do for the night.

The main thing was to stay close to the unfathomable Young Master Chu. Only then did everyone dare close their eyes and rest for a while.

Li Gexiao swiftly cleaned out a thatched hut, then silently stood guard outside like a Door God. No matter how Chu Yang tried to persuade him, he remained utterly resolute.

Having been influenced by his master Zheng Dongliu since childhood, Li Gexiao placed great importance on the word "loyalty." Chu Yang might be willing to humble himself, but that did not mean Li Gexiao could fail to know his place.

Everyone had something they valued. Chu Yang could not force him, so he made himself a wooden bed and leaned against it with his eyes closed, resting his mind.

By the standards of cultivation in immortal fantasy worlds, Chu Yang had already reached the second stage, Refining Qi into Spirit. He basically did not need sleep; even a short period of meditation could restore his energy for days.

Besides, Chu Yang did not think he would get a peaceful night’s sleep.

In the original story, Yaoyue, Lianxing, and Yan Nantian appeared after the Twelve Zodiacs. They had merely missed each other by a narrow margin. Chu Yang had altered part of the course of events, so there was still a chance he might encounter them.

The reason he was not certain was that this world’s style was abnormal to begin with. No one could guarantee how wildly the plot would spiral out of control.

After all, in the immortal fantasy world next door, Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing had even appeared in the same scene.

As his thoughts wandered, the latter half of the night arrived. Water mist began to rise around the abandoned village, and the air suddenly became damp, as though a heavy rain had fallen.

Drip, drip~~~

In the silent night, the sound of water droplets was especially piercing, each drop seeming to strike against people’s hearts.

"Young Master, something is coming…"

Li Gexiao pushed open the door and entered. His usual carefree smile had turned extremely serious.

It was still unclear whether the thing outside was a Spirit Demon or a demon. The former would be easier to handle, but if it was the latter, many people might die.

"Go check on Jiang Feng and the others. Be careful."

"Yes!"

Li Gexiao had barely left when Chu Yang stepped out of the hut and headed toward the depths of the fog.

He had already smelled the scent of a demon.

Elsewhere.

For some reason, Jiang Feng, Hua Yuenv, and all their guards were sleeping deeply. Even the night watchman had fallen asleep against the door.

The scene was extremely strange.

Ever since setting out, the couple had always been highly cautious. They should not have let down their guard in the slightest. Even while resting, one of them would always remain awake—usually Jiang Feng.

Yet now, they had both fallen asleep at once. Even with Chu Yang nearby, they should not have been so careless.

The guards were also fast asleep. The mist around the hut gradually thickened, moisture appearing on the walls and ceiling. Their clothes also became damp.

The fog seeped into the hut through its cracks. Vaguely humanoid figures could be seen approaching Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenv with claws bared.

"Brother Jiang!"

Li Gexiao’s powerful shout rang out from outside, like a tiger’s roar tearing apart the mist. Torch in hand, he swung it wildly, and its faint firelight illuminated the hut.

The drifting mist suddenly dispersed by more than half, and the hazy figures hidden within it vanished as well.

Bang!

Li Gexiao kicked the door open with all his strength. The guard outside was sent sprawling face-first onto the ground and immediately woke from his stupor.

Dazed from the fall, the guard looked up and saw Li Gexiao holding a torch and the Embroidered Spring Blade. Startled, he cried out several times, soon waking Jiang Feng and the others.

"Hero Li, what are you doing?" Jiang Feng asked groggily, staring blankly at Li Gexiao.

"You’re still sleeping? You nearly got eaten by demons just now!" Li Gexiao cursed angrily.

"Demons?!" At that word, Jiang Feng’s eyes instantly cleared. He shouted excitedly, "Where are the demons?"

The other guards also leapt to their feet in alarm and looked around. Hua Yuenv, meanwhile, clutched the two children tightly in her arms, her face filled with terror.

Jiang Feng walked up to Li Gexiao and asked, "Hero Li, what kind of demon is it?"

"I don’t know either. Young Master sent me to check on you, afraid you’d be ambushed by demons." Li Gexiao clicked his tongue. "The facts prove that Young Master’s worries were justified."

"You came here? Then what about Young Master Chu, all alone?"

Jiang Feng anxiously rushed outside, only for Li Gexiao to yank him back.

"There’s no need to worry about my young master. Save some concern for yourselves. You can barely protect yourselves, yet you still want to save someone else."

Li Gexiao frowned and rebuked him.

The greatest good man in the world might as well be called the greatest fool in the world. Foolish kindness came at an enormous price.

"Husband, don’t panic. Young Master Chu is a Daoist Master. Whether it is a Spirit Demon or a demon outside, neither can possibly be his match."

Hua Yuenv hurriedly stopped Jiang Feng from acting rashly.

Demons and the underworld were entirely different matters. One might still have a slim chance of survival fighting the latter, but recklessly facing the former was simply seeking death.

There was a one-in-a-hundred chance of surviving an encounter with the Twelve Zodiacs, but if one encountered a demon, there was not even a one-in-ten-thousand chance. Aside from Divine Marquis Manor, which specialized in dealing with demons, even ordinary martial experts had an extremely high mortality rate when facing them.

Under Li Gexiao’s arrangements, the awakened guards formed a battle formation. They protected Hua Yuenv and the two children at the center, then left the hut in orderly fashion and moved toward Chu Yang.

The air grew colder and colder, as if the season had abruptly shifted into the depths of winter.

At the same time, in the deepest part of the mist, Chu Yang found the source.

Unlike the half-ox, half-snake demon he had encountered at Tongfu Inn last time, the demon before him looked much like a human.

Its entire body was snow-white, smooth as jade, like an ice sculpture. Yet within its translucent body, countless human faces flickered faintly past, every one seemingly wailing in agony.

The demon had no whites in its eyes. Its two eyes were pitch-black as it stared fixedly at Chu Yang.

Suddenly.

The corners of its mouth curled upward, revealing a strange smile.